The federal government has set aside N36.565,012,899.66 for the rehabilitation of 123 roads across the 36 states of the federation under its post-rainy season programme designed to ease travel difficulties during the Christmas and New Year festivities.
Details of the 123 roads are contained in a document prepared by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, which forms the action plan to fix failed portions of federal highways and major arterial roads in view of the impending Yuletide.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has also embarked on a road safety audit, which established the portions of federal roads that are to be fixed as Christmas and New Year festivities approach.
Investigations revealed that on a geopolitical basis, a breakdown of the 123 roads billed for rehabilitation or already undergoing repairs by the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and contractors are North-west (11), North-east (15), North-central (16), South-east (14), South-south (16) and South-west (51).
It was gathered that the failed portions of roads with subsisting contractors will be fixed by such contractors, while FERMA handles those which currently have no ongoing contracts.
Various sums of money allocated to rehabilitate roads in each of the geopolitical zones, according to findings, include: North-central, N6,817,528,88.53; North-east, N4,406,323,657.02; North-west, N3,889,851,676.22; South-east, N6,326,179,112.19; South-south, N5,963,783,102.40 and South-west, N9,161,347,463.30.
Some of the roads earmarked for rehabilitation in the North-central zone are the Makurdi-Alaide road; Okene-Ajaokuta-Itobe road (Geregu Power Plant and Interchange to Itobe bridge) and Lokoja Shintaku-Dekina-Ayingba road (Lokoja-Geregu-Ganaja route 45).
Others are Abuja-Kaduna road at Km 4,5, 15, 16,18 and 30; Shendam-Plateau State border road in Nasarawa and Keffi-Gitata Kaduna State border, Abuja-Lokoja/Zaria at Geregu, and Kotangora-Minna-Dikko, among others.
In the North-east, some of the roads include, Numan-Jalingo, Yola-Hong-Mubi, Damaturu-Maiduguri, Gombe-Biu, Bauchi-Gombe State border, Jalingo-Wukari, Wukari-Benue, Damaturu-Dapchi-Bayamari and Potiskum-Ngalda-Gombe, among others.
Also pencilled in for repairs in the North-West are the Dan Gwuro at Km10+859 along Kano-Zaria road, Eastern bypass Phases 1&11 road in Kano; Kano-Gwarzo-Katsina State-Dayi road, Sokoto-Goronyo –Dam site road-SabonBirni-Niger Republic road (route A32), and Zaria-Funtua road, among others.
In the South-south, roads billed for rehabilitation are Auchi-Igarra-Ibillo, Delta-Abraka-Agbor highway, Agbor-Asaba Expressway-Alifekede, Benin-Asaba, Ogoono Bridge along Auchi-Okpella route, Ore-Benin road at KM 9-5 from Ofosu Bridge, Benin-Sapele, Ahoada-Omoku, Calabar-Old Odukpani–Ebrukutu Route No F-108 and Route No 90 9A4-2),and Ikot-Ekpene-Ikot Umuessien –Aba road, among others.
The roads to be repaired in South-east are: Onitsha-Owerri dual carriageway (Onitsha, Mgbido and Owerri bound), Enugu-Owerri road; 9th Mile-Orokam Road- 9th Mile interchange-Orokam Benue State boundary.
Billed for repairs in the South-west are Ibadan-Ogbomosho, Ogbomosho- Ilorin, Oyo-Ogbomosho old road, Oyo-Ogbomosho old road, Ibadan-Gbogan road, Shagamu-Mowe-Lagos road and Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, among others.
However, in a move to fast-track the roads rehabilitation and ease pressure on commuters across the country, the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, last weekend rallied stakeholders into action for the annual ‘Ember months’.